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Plogging Czechia – a new eco-friendly fitness trend jogs into the picture

For the first time in the Czech Republic, World Cleanup Day will see active runners taking part in a nod to a latest phenomenon known as “plogging”. The activity arose from the combination of jogging and litter collecting, or plocka upp in Swedish. Runners up and down the country who have responded to an appeal on social media will take part in the event under the umbrella of the Plogging Czechia project backed by the Czech Association for Corporate Social Responsibility (A-CSR) in collaboration with Coca-Cola.

Plogging combines physical exercise that benefits the body and soul with good deeds and caring for our planet. “We are aware that pollution plagues the environment including the planet’s oceans, but it is still an issue that every person can do something about. Plogging has spread rapidly from Sweden to other countries and has become 2018’s top trend in fitness. We were greatly surprised by the speed with which the trend took hold across the country under Plogging Czechia. More than a thousand people plan to plog all over the country on World Cleanup Day,” says Lucie Mádlová, Executive Director of A-CSR.

Plogging Czechia will see runners, either individually or in teams, criss-cross the country collecting litter. They will sort and deposit it in recycling containers. “As part of its World Without Waste project, Coca-Cola has long endeavoured to improve the recyclability of its packaging materials, efficiency in sorting used packaging and water recovery. Our company also supports useful community projects that have the potential to deliver benefits quickly and easily. That is why we are fond of plogging: if we incorporate litter collection and sorting into our daily activities, such as jogging or just strolling around, our neighbourhoods will soon visibly benefit,” says Kateřina Eliášová, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at Coca-Cola HBC Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Among the first to sign up for the initiative were employees of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden in the Czech Republic, i.e. representatives of the country where plogging was born. “Plogging provides an excellent opportunity to do something that is simultaneously beneficial for yourself and others. What’s more, it’s great fun to plog along with your friends,” says Viktoria Li, the Swedish Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Plogging Czechia is also supported by a number of celebrities, including dancer and choreographer Yemi A.D., actor, moderator and gastronomy enthusiast Lukáš Hejlík, founder of the Nadace Krása pomoci [Beauty of Helping Foundation] Taťána Gregor Brzobohatá and nutrition and gastronomy specialist and runner Jana Králiková of Zásadně zdravě [Nothing but Healthy] blog fame. They and many others strive to connect and motivate active runners and joggers to give their exercise a new dimension and help to spread a new trend in running throughout the Czech Republic. For more information visit www.ploggingcesko.cz.